George benton shearer



(No Model.)

G. B. SHEAR-ER. PICK FOR MELOHARPS.

No. 566,866. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

045% /w%aam zzmw &{Qezw Q34? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BENTON SHEARER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

PICK FOR MELOHARPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,806, dated September 1, 1896.

Application filed May 6, 1896' Serial No. 590,388. (N0 model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BENTON SHEARER, a citizen of the United States, and now a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, formerly a resident of Oneonta, in the county of Otsego and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picks for Meloharps and other Stringed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object an improvement in those picks for meloharps or other stringed musical instruments which simulate in form a thimble and which in use are simply placed over the end of a finger, thus enabling the pick-point to assume a position in line with the latter.

My improvement consists in a pick which is constructed from a blank of an approximately irregular T shape, formed with three arms, the two transverse arms of which are extended or bent or curved downwardly, so as to overlap each other and produce a tubular obliquely-split body which embraces the first joint of a finger, and whose points extend on the inner side of the finger and act as springs or clamps for holding the pick with yielding pressure and the other arm extending longitudinally over the nail, and being formed with a rounded point which has a longitudinal inner-curved brace-piece providing a spring-arm having a correspondingly-munded point and extending from beneath the latter point to the overlapped points of the transverse arms, thus producing a skeleton thimble, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to prescribe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank form in two parts from which my improved pick for meloharps and other stringed musical instruments may be constructed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank for my pick formed in one piece. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved pick, produced from the blank shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating its application to a finger. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the pick. Fig. 5 is a top View of the same. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of my improved pick produced from the blank shown in Fig. 2, and showing a modification in which the brace-piece extends from the point to a position beneath the body instead of to a point within the latter.

1 represents a blank stamped out of tortoiseshell, hard-rubber, celluloid, horn, or spring steel, or any other suitable slightly-yielding material, composition, or metal, hard or firm enough to produce the desired tone when formed into apick. The blank is constructed with a head or body portion having transverse arms 2 3 and a longitudinal arm 4, these arms being formed with rounded points 2 3, and 4*, respectively. The whole blank is of an approximately irregular T shape. To the rounded point of the outer end of the longitudinal arm is joined an extension 5, having a rounded outer point 5, corresponding in shape to the rounded point of the longitudinal arm, and a rounded inner point 5 This extension may be formed in one piece with the longitudinal arm, as shown in Fig. 2.

To produce the picks from the blanks shown, the transverse arms are bent or curved sufficiently to form an obliquely-split body, the points 2 3 of whose arms extend beneath the finger and overlap each other, so as to avoid any pinching of the finger to which the pick is applied. The longitudinal arm is bent or curved downwardly, so that its rounded point may assume a position in line with the tip of the finger. If the blank is formed in two parts, the extension is joined to the rounded point 4 of the longitudinal arm in the usual manner by heat or solder, according to the material or metal employed. hen the extension and the longitudinal arm are stamped out in one piece, the extension is folded under the arm, as shown in Fig. 6. The extension providesa curved brace-piece, which extends beneath the cushion of the finger and longitudinallyacross the points of the transverse arms, either on the inner or outer side of the latter. It will be understood in this construction of pick, the body is capable of springing and opening when pressed upon the finger. The pick is made slightly smaller than the finger with which it is intended to be used, so that the parts can slightly spread when put on and thus cling to the finger.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A pick-blank comprising the body, the transverse arms, having rounded points, the longitudinal arm, having a rounded point, and the longitudinal brace-piece, having a rounded point; substantially as described.

2. A pick formed with a body having transverse arms extending downwardly and overlapping each other for embracing a finger from the outer side thereof and with a longitudinal arm extending downwardly over the finger and provided with a projecting point in line with the finger; substantially as described.

3. A pick comprising a body formed with transverse arms, and with a longitudinal arm provided with a projecting point and a longitudinal brace-piece extending from the point to the points of the transverse arms, sub stantially as described.

4. A pick comprising an obliquely-split ring-body formed with a longitudinal arm provided witha projecting point and a longitudinal brace-piece extending from the point to the body, substantially as described.

5. A pick comprising a body formed in one piece with transverse arms, a longitudinal arm, and a longitudinal brace-piece providing an extension to the longitudinal arm; substantially as described.

0. A pick comprising the body 1, trans verse arms 2, 3, overlapping each other having points 2, "3, the longitudinal arm l having a projecting .point 4, and the longitudinal brace-piece 5 having a rounded projecting point 5 connected to the rounded point of the longitudinal arm, and a rounded point 5 bearing on the points of the transverse arms; substantially as described.

GEORGE BENTON SI-IEARER.

Witnesses:

P. F. MCDONALD, SEYMOUR B. SHEARER. 

